SANAA/RIYADH/UNITED NATIONS – Yemen's Houthi group said Thursday it launched a fresh ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and carried out missile strikes against government forces near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement posted on social media platform X that a ballistic missile "accurately hit its target" at King Khalid International Airport, disrupting air traffic. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities of the latest attack claim.

Sarea also issued what he called a "final warning" to international airlines against continuing to operate flights through Saudi airspace, claiming that it had become an area of Houthi military operations. He said the warning did not apply to airspace over the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The latest Houthi claim followed attacks on two Saudi airports on Tuesday and Wednesday that left three people dead and 36 others injured, according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on both airports. Sarea said Wednesday that several drones targeted King Khalid International Airport, while ballistic missiles and drones hit Abha International Airport and King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait in the southwestern Asir region.

Later Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said that it had launched a comprehensive operation, destroying 82 Houthi military targets across several provinces, in response to attacks on civilians and civilian sites in the kingdom.

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Also on Wednesday, the coalition claimed it had intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles, one north of Riyadh and the other heading toward the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.

Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Malki said that Sanaa and the provinces of Saada and Amran were sources of Houthi missile threats.

Al-Malki later said that the coalition had destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform that it said had been used in an attack on Riyadh.

Yemen's transport ministry said Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles and drones at Aden International Airport before dawn, forcing an incoming passenger flight to divert.

According to the ministry, two ballistic missiles and several explosive-laden drones targeted the runway and passenger terminal, with one missile striking near the runway only minutes before Yemenia Airways flight 603 from Cairo was due to land. No casualties were immediately reported.

In a separate statement, the Houthi group said it launched ballistic missiles targeting newly arrived Saudi military supplies at Badr Camp near Aden International Airport.

ALSO READ: Yemeni govt forces launch counteroffensive against Houthis near Bab al-Mandab

The group said the strike caused casualties among Saudi officers without providing specific figures, while warning Riyadh against using the airport for military purposes.

The cross-border attacks came amid intensified fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, particularly near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The Yemeni government announced Monday the launch of a new military operation aimed at retaking the capital Sanaa, as government forces mounted a counteroffensive near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The Houthi group on Wednesday claimed to have repelled an attempt by government forces to advance toward its positions in the northern province of Al-Jawf near the Saudi border, saying it targeted government troop gatherings in the region with ballistic missiles and drones.

Saudi forces have stepped up air operations, while the Houthis reported 156 air and missile strikes on Sanaa and the provinces of Taiz, Saada, Al-Jawf, Marib and Amran.

Houthi leader urges Türkiye, Pakistan to stay out of conflict

Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi called on Türkiye and Pakistan not to be drawn into Yemen's conflict alongside Saudi Arabia, as fighting intensifies and Riyadh strengthens defense cooperation with the two countries.

In a televised speech broadcast by Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV, al-Houthi praised voices in Türkiye and Pakistan that he said opposed any potential move to draw their countries into Saudi Arabia's military campaign in Yemen.

"I highly appreciate the voices in Türkiye and Pakistan that reject being dragged into the aggression against Yemen," he said, without specifying particular groups or officials in either country.

READ MORE: Pakistan, Türkiye agree to deploy forces in Saudi Arabia

Al-Houthi also accused Saudi Arabia of escalating military operations despite previous de-escalation efforts.

He said that negotiations with Saudi Arabia had reached a dead end, declaring that "neither negotiations nor other efforts have worked," while accusing Riyadh of maintaining restrictions on "Yemen's airports, imports and economic resources."

The Houthis' remarks came as Saudi Arabia has stepped up defense coordination with Pakistan and Türkiye. The two countries said Monday that they will provide military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia in accordance with their commitments under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.

UN: Civilians continue to flee homes

Civilians in Yemen continue to flee their homes amid the ongoing conflict, as the humanitarian crisis worsens by the day, UN humanitarians said Wednesday.

Since Aug 1, more than 184,000 people have been displaced nationwide, including over 21,000 people in the past week alone, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, citing the International Organization for Migration.

According to OCHA, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners have reached more than 126,000 people with life-saving assistance. Nevertheless, it warned that needs continue to outpace the resources available.

The World Health Organization warned of major funding shortfalls as rising displacement, disease outbreaks and conflict put more pressure on an already fragile health system, OCHA said. "Cholera cases have tripled in recent weeks -- including in displacement camps -- while measles, dengue and malaria continue to spread."

Shortages of essential commodities and medical supplies are being reported, with sharp increases in food and fuel prices, and growing concerns over the availability of flour, cooking gas and medicines, OCHA said.

The recent clashes marked the sharpest escalation since a UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major hostilities in the war-torn country.

Yemen's conflict began in late 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government, now based in Aden.